England Under 21’s 4 Israel Under 21’s 1: Long list of debutants shine at Oakwell in emphatic win

Stuart Pearce’s Young Lions found themselves a goal down in the 25th minute when the visitors broke forward and Mohammad Klibat looped a shot past Ben Amos.

Martyn Waghorn equalised with a header 13 minutes after the break and Marvin Sordell’s thunderbolt put England in front moments later.

A penalty from Nathan Delfouneso with eight minutes of normal time remaining and a finish from fellow substitute Henri Lansbury in stoppage time put the gloss on the win.

Head coach Pearce had said he would make changes from last Thursday’s 6-0 European Championship qualifying triumph over Azerbaijan and only two players retained their place in the first XI, with one of them, Jack Rodwell, assuming the captain’s armband from the departed Jordan Henderson, who had been allowed to return to his club Liverpool.

Craig Dawson, scorer of two goals against the Azeri, was the other to keep his starting berth, while Amos, Andre Wisdom and Ross Barkley were the debutants among those to come in.

After Klibat’s curling strike went beyond Amos, the hosts almost fell two goals behind when Nir Bitton drove narrowly wide.

After the break, England took control and their pressure paid off in the 58th minute as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain crossed from the right and Waghorn headed past Kleyman.

It took just two minutes for England to score again, Sordell putting them ahead in emphatic fashion by turning and lashing a shot into the corner of the net.

Gary Gardner then became the final player of the evening to win his first Under-21 cap for the hosts by replacing Gosling, while Delfouneso and Connor Wickham came on for Waghorn and Barkley.

England were firmly in control and added a third goal in the final 10 minutes, Delfouneso confidently dispatching the spot-kick after Oxlade-Chamberlain was brought down in the box.

Lansbury then wrapped up the win at the finish after being fed by Oxlade-Chamberlain.